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Maintenance

Riding

The bike: Enfields are great but don't fall for the line about them being
'robust'; they're not robust at all but they're easy to work on and that's
the next best thing.

Buy a new one or one that has been reconditioned; even a one or two year one
will have needed work after being in Indian hands. We bought a new 350
deluxe because there was a wait for a 500. We're happy with the 350 and it
has some advantages over the 500: Indians say that if you can afford to run
a 500 Enfield you can afford to run a car; spares prices are much higher
than for the 350. That said, when we do it again we'll have a 500.

Whatever you do, get one with a big front brake. The standard 350 has a
single-lever shoe that does NOTHING. Couple this with a rear brake that is
on the wrong side (so you can't find it when you're panicking) and you have
a VERY dangerous bike. The 350 deluxe and machismo and all the 500s have a
twin-lead shoe on the front which is fine. Go for one of these.

Maintenance: keep a close eye on the oil level: it WILL use oil and you
may have to top-up during a long ride (300 - 400km is, believe me, a long
ride on an Enfield). Lots of oil over the primary-drive case
(left-hand-side) is due to the C shaped clip on the breather hose: replace
it with a jubilee-clip or something else O-shaped.

Check the tappets EVERY day when you first get the bike; you'll find
somebody to show you how if necessary. When you're familiar with the
machine you may want to check them less often but I did it every day for
nine months. Tight tappets will kill the valves very quickly.

Get familiar with the points, keep them clean and adjusted and learn how to
adjust the timing (ignition) so you can counter the effect of crappy fuel
(as we approached Goa over a number of days we had to keep retarding and
retarding the ignition as the fuel got worse and worse). Also, they cut the
petrol with kerosene sometimes so you have to put a little 2-stroke oil in
with the petrol because the kerosene washes away the lubricants from the
cylinder head.

On a 350, never go over 50mph (80kmh - ignore what the books say about a
design speed of 100kmh). We stuck to this rule religiously and were
rewarded. You probably shouldn't do much more on a 500.

Riding: I actually think it's safer there than at home! We ride through
Wales at 130mph quite regularly (not on the Enfield!) and feel much more at
risk than we aver did at 50mph in India. In India might is right and big is
best. Defer to everyone, go very slowly through villages, use your horn a
lot and never assume you can go just because you have right of way.